Girl Meets Boy
by SimmyRoberts1901
Summary: Bella Swan is a good girl. She gets good grades, she never argues, and even she knows that she's a pushover. But she's sick of being a good girl. She wants to be bad. When she meets Damon Salvatore, no one expected anything to happen. They're complete opposites. But when Elena sucks Bella into her most dangerous scheme yet, everything changes.
1. Index: The Girls

**The Girls**

* * *

Bella : The Distraction

Elena : The Planner

Caroline : The Sidekick

Rosalie : The Best Friend

Bonnie : The Secret Weapon

Leah : The Kick-Ass Accomplice

_**.  
**_

**_Lemons!_  
**


	2. Expirience

**A/N This is the revised version of my very first fanfiction ever, originally named _The Girls. _I hope you guys like it, feel free to PM me if you have any questions of concerns. Please review! :)**

**Chapter 1**

* * *

Most people are born into an aura of love and hope. They are born into a kind healthy new family. I, on the other hand, wasn't quite so lucky.

My mom and dad divorced before I was even 2. I guess the prospect of having a little bundle of joy didn't make my dad love my mother any more than he already didn't. Or maybe I was such a astronomic disappointment that he didn't see any reason to stay. My older sister, Elena, never liked me. She thought I was a brat and I think she's always kind of hated me.

A little voice in the back of my mind told me it was because she blamed me for splitting our parents up. Elena's troubled past started years before mine, when my mom got impregnated up with a random guy no one would ever see again. My mom, Renée, raised me and Elena the best she could on a one-paycheck salary, but the odds were against her and she was barely making ends meet.

Here begins the dark ages of my adolescence. Renée was prescribed sleeping pills and assigned a new job in Forks, Washington. The rainiest, furthest place possible from our sunny little home in Phoenix. I was miserable there, even at the age of 8. Elena grew up in the blink of an eye, being 5 years older than me. Before I knew it they were both leaving me behind. Elena made new, more dangerous, experienced friends, and I was never allowed to be around them. Renée was too caught up in her job to be busied with me, and as soon as she got home she popped some sleeping pills and dozed off.

Being around such things, as a child, didn't mean much. I was like any normal kid; I went to school when I was six, came home to a healthy snack and gabbed about my new friends or which barbie doll I wanted next.

But as the years progressed, I started becoming more mature and sensitive to my surroundings. I distanced myself from Renée, never wanting to need her, while simultaneously pushing myself towards Elena, needing her approval.

This is where my story begins.

I was sitting in Elena's room with her and her friends Rosalie, Bonnie and Caroline. They're all stunning. I could pick out certain traits from each of these girls that made them the foxiest, most talked about girls in all of Forks. Bonnie, with her blood red hair and gentle brown eyes. Rosalie and her flawless body and shimmering blond hair. Caroline's shiny auburn hair and cat-like emerald green eyes. And then there was Elena. Beautiful golden hair, violet eyes, rose-petal lips. She's the object of every mans fantasy, and every woman's envy.

I look odd next to these girls, what with my limp brown hair and equally plain brown eyes, but hanging out with them is a right of passage- and I wasn't about to pass it up. If I had to be a follower, then so be it. But I was not going to sit alone in my room and read my books again.

So, the girls are sitting on my sisters bed while I'm sitting a few feet off at Elena's desk. Bonnie leans forward to paint her toenails light pink, Rosalie smirks at a text and whispers in Elena's ear. Caroline flips a page in her magazine, looking annoyed. I pop another _Dorito_ in my mouth and read over Caroline's shoulder.

"Oh my gosh, look at the news!" Bonnie practically shouts, pointing with one hand and covering her mouth with the other. I glanced at the news cast headline _'Forks Town shaken after shocking announcement from Billy Black.'_

"Shut up!" Elena says, smacking her with goose feather pillow. "My moms sleeping in the other room, dumb ass."

Bonnie giggles, shaking feathers out of her hair. "No, seriously. Turn it up! It's Billy Black, owner of Black Asylum." No one bats an eyelash. "_You know_! His son is Jacob Black?"

Elena gets this frightening look on her face that makes me happy I wasn't in Bonnie's position. Wait-did she just look at me? No, she must have been looking at Caroline because now she's staring straight at her.

"Turn up the volume, Caroline." She nudges Caroline, who picks up the remote and presses the up on the volume button.

I'm confused for a second, everything was light and fun, the air of camaraderie, and now it was hostile and antagonistic. At the mention of some boy named Jacob Black. I look at Bonnie. Her bottom lip is slightly quivering and she's staring blankly at the t.v screen.

I look to the television as well.

A picture of a middle-aged woman with a blond bob glides onto the screen sitting next to an old white haired man. "_Tom, how do you think the residents will feel about this new arrangement?" _

"_Well, Diane, I think a lot of the residents of Westville are going to feel unprotected and, well, scared. These are teenage boys we're talking about and I think it's serious misjudgement on Mr. Blacks part."_

_"I agree, Tom. Here's Trish Maysen with the full story." _The camera pans out and a new scene is on the screen. A tall brunette with a white smile and clear skin is standing beside a older-looking man with long black hair and a wheel-chair.

"_Thanks Diane. We're here with owner of the Asylum, Billy Black. He's here to set things straight. Now, people were shocked to hear at a press conference earlier today that Billy Black hired five teenage boys from around the reservation to guard his notorious asylum. Words, Mr. Black?"_

Billy Black clears his throat and answers in a deep, haunting voice. "_I understand that some people might be on edge about this odd arrangement, but I trust my son fully and know he will prove to be responsible. If people do not like that the Quileute boys will be guarding my Asylum then they can suggest whom they think will do a better job- but until then, this is how things will be." _His dark, black eyes stare at the camera lens, almost watching me. An involuntary shiver runs through me.

Elena grabs the remote from Caroline and presses the 'Off' button. The girls stare blankly at the screen. A heavy silence that I don't understand fills the air. How does this effect any of us? Sure we might be in slight danger if someone in the Asylum escapes but what were the odds of that?

"Well," Rosalie finally breathes.

"Great." Elena says bitterly.

"Not that he needed more press." Caroline follows in the same snide voice.

"Now what?" Bonnie asks, sounding like Eeyore..

I blanche. "I don't understand. What does any of this have to do with us?"

All of their heads snap to me, as if they forgot I was here. Slowly their expressions melt, in synchronization.

"Never mind." Elena answers, her chest heaving with the breath she takes. Rosalie looks at Elena, searching her face. Bonnie returns to painting her toenails, except she seems distracted. Everyone does.

"So, what are we doing for Halloween, guys?" Caroline asks, trying to change the subject.

"That Mike guy from school is having a party. Did you hear about that, Bella?" Bonnie asks, looking me straight in the eye for the first time all night.

Technically, Bonnie was my friend before Elena's, but once Elena got interested in Bonnie, she never looked back. Her and I are the same age, at the same school, and have almost all the same classes. It was _so_ ironic when Bonnie became friends with Elena.

"Uhm, yeah, yeah I did." I pause, remembering what Mike Newton had said at lunch the other day. "But-I heard he's inviting the hockey team and his parents are going to be there so there will be absolutely zero alcohol." I smile meekly. "He's become more Abercrombie than Fitch."

"That idea's out." Elena says evasively, her eyes glittering. Everyone knew she already had a killer idea that she was just waiting to spill. "Anyone else?"

Rosalie puts out her hands to silence everyone and leans forward, "I have an idea!"

Elena waves her off. "It doesn't matter, because I have a plan so brilliant you're all going to shit yourselves when you hear it."

Rosalie stands gracefully and goes to Elena's closet, much too distracted to be pissed off that her plan was axed. Elena's mouth pinches up, barely concealing her rage. Rose starts digging through band tee's while Elena speaks, explaining details of the party some guy named Damon was throwing, that they were apparently going to attend.

"Of course, you're welcome to join us, Bella," Elena says, calling my attention back to her. Her voice was sugary sweet, her eyes too innocent.

"Sure," I murmur, dropping my eyes from hers.

My eyes discreetly watch Rosalie as she finally comes out with a white shirt that's cinched in the waist and extremely low-cut. She brings her white shirt over her waist, head. She stands there for a bit, studying the tee. I try to look away but my eyes drift back to her. She's wearing a Victoria's Secret bra in perry-winkle (I have the same one, but her boobs are bigger and fill it out perfectly), her stomach is smooth and looks effortlessly perfect. Rosalie meets my eyes in the mirror and smiles a little secret smile, and then slips on the shirt. She turns away from the mirror

"Can I borrow this tomorrow?" She asks Elena.

Elena barely glances at her, annoyed that Rose cut her off once again. "Sure."

Rosalie smirks, then looks at me, "Can I talk to you, Bella?"

I stop breathing for a second and nod, I follow her to my room. My heart beats so wildly in my chest, I'm almost certain she can hear it. Was she going to chew my face off for staring at her body? Would she make fun of me? Taunt me because her body was so flawless while mine was ... not?

"Yeah?" I ask, trying my best to keep my voice even.

"I just want to borrow some jeans," She turns to smile sweetly at me. "I'm closer to your size than Elena's."

I nod, "Okay, what do you have in mind?"

"Just something comfortable and slimming."

"Like you need to be any more slim," I murmur, blushing slightly.

She fixes her golden hair in my vanity mirror as I start pawing through my drawer's. "Comfortable you say?"

"Mmm," She mutters absently, and starts raking through my hair with her pale fingers. "Your hair's really pretty. I died my hair brown once, but it wasn't as nice as your natural brown. Mine was gross, so I changed it back. "

"Thanks." I mumble, blushing even more red. I find a dark pair of True Religion jeans and hand them to her.

She smiles at me, then slips off her pants (she's wearing matching underwear) then slides on mine. She models in front of my vanity mirror, "What do you think?"

I start brushing my hair with my finger's. "Looks good."

She smiles widely. "Thank you!"

I stand and walk towards my closet, selecting a deep red Miu Miu belt my mom gave me. "Try this with it." I say, handing it to her.

She looks at it, meets my eyes, then reaches for it. Her fingers brush mine. "Thanks."

I turn away and go sit on my bed while she slides the belt on. I clear my throat nervously. Rosalie hears and looks at me sceptically. Then she gets this little glint her eye. She comes to sit beside me on my bed, turning towards me. I turn towards her too.

"Would you like to try something, Bella?" She asks quietly.

She doesn't wait for my answer, she leans forward unexpectedly and puts her hand against my cheek, making me blush. She has a little smile on her lips as she leans forward further. "What?..." I ask, but she puts a finger on my lips.

"Shh," she whispers, sending slight shivers down my spine.

My confusion overwhelmed my desire and I was completely shocked when she pressed her lips to my jawbone- I stop breathing. I only focus on the smell of her hair (lilac scented) and the feel of her soft lips as they press against my jawbone ... my cheek ... the corner of my mouth. I lean towards her, moving my mouth so it meets hers. Our lips move silently together- Rosalie's a great kisser. Then I move my hand hesitantly towards her silky hair, feeling it beneath my fingers and hold her face to mine. More confidently now, I press my body onto hers, laying my other hand on the small of her back. I feel her smile into our kiss-

Just then my land line rings, I pull apart, as if awoken from a dream with a shock. "Just a moment..." I say, breathlessly, shaking the confusion out of my head. My lips are cold where hers were, and I wanted to get back to kissing her, which was even more confusing. Numbly, I pick up my land-line and press the phone against my ear. "Hello?" I croak.

There's no sound on the other end. I glance self-consciously at Rose, who's looking at me with a confused expression.

"Hello? Is someone there?"

I hear a steady breathing and the sound of wind brush the mouth piece, then the line goes dead.

"That was weird..." I mutter, setting the phone down.

"Well, we're done here," Rose says, and gets up, grabs my hand, and we walk out of my room back to Elena's.

"What was that about?" Elena asks.

I have never understood her and Rosalie's relationship. They have been friends practically since birth, they called each other all the time, the had so many sleepover's it was hard to count. And they never kept secret's from each other. So, it was hard for her to see Rosalie getting closer to her sister, like, friend close. Not my problem.

"Nothing, just wanted to borrow some jeans. What do you think?" Rosalie responds.

"Nice," Elena says.

"Where are the other girls?" I ask, noticing that Bonnie and Caroline are suddenly missing.

Elena responds to me while looking at Rosalie, almost trying to communicate something to her. "They had to attend to business."

I glance at Rosalie and she smiles at me, tilting her head to the side innocently. I didn't trust her. I didn't trust Elena, either. There was something they were keeping from me, something that had to do with Jacob Black. I wondered if it was my business, if I should say anything about it, but before I could come to a reasonable conclusion, Elena fell back onto her bed and eyed me carefully.

"I think it's time you left, Bella."

My eyebrows rose in defiance, but I knew well enough not to argue with Elena. As I turned, I threw another look towards Rosalie but she just shrugged.

The door creaked shut behind me, and I turned just in time to see her expression as she closed to door; eyes bright and wicked, mouth curled into an evil smirk.

"Goodnight, Bella," She called.

.

**A/N Please tell me what you guys think a short review! Thanks. :)**


	3. Weakness

**A/N I'm so glad people are reading and reviewing! Thanks to everyone who's enjoying this story so far. Here's another chapter, hope y'all like it as much as I liked writing it. :)**

**Chapter 2**

* * *

The next day I woke up in a daze. I dressed blindly, throwing on the first clothes my fingers touched. I didn't know what had brought on this sudden dreamlike quality to my morning. I had slept a full 7 and a half hours. Maybe it had to do with the dream I'd had.

For as long as I could remember, it was the same dream over and over again. You'd think that after so long I would get tired of it, or that it would stop horrifying me, leaving me paralyzed against my bed in the morning. But this time it was different.

I had been walking through the forest, it felt like there was something very hot in my pocket, but the pain hadn't increased so much to worry me. During my heavy sleep, I hadn't realized how odd and unfamiliar this burning was; it had never been in this dream before. That's when I heard someone, or someone_s_, running around me in a large circle, giggling every so often. They sounded like girls. Suddenly I could see the figure of a man standing in front of me. I had stopped dead in my tracks, unable to move again for the rest of the dream, as if vines had sprung up from the cool earth and wound themselves around my ankles. The man began to move towards me, his arms out at his sides as if he was about to take flight.

A deep, guttural scream filled the air, except it wasn't mine or the man's. This scream was all too familiar to me. It was my sister Elena's. I tried to move towards the scream, falling to my knees to do so. The man kept moving towards me, the scream broke off in a heart shattering screech.

Then the fire in my pocket got so hot it actually began to scorch through my clothing. I quit trying to get to Elena and focused on getting the burning thing out of my pants. My fingers stung when I wrapped my fingers around it and pulled it out, then the pain vanished. I precariously opened my palm to examine it.

In my hand was a worn piece of silver, attached to a thin silver chain. There were blue flecks of stone on it and a huge lion embedded in silver. The beauty of it made my heart ache. Then suddenly a shadow darkened my vision. I looked up at my predator, staring deep into his dark brown eyes. His face wasn't familiar; deep russet skin, pearl white teeth, long curtains of satin black hair. He flashed one wide, wicked smile, before stepping back into a crouch.

My echoing scream was all I heard as I suddenly burst into reality.

.

I stop at my locker and twisted my combination into the lock, trying to focus on getting the combo right. Shaking the dream out of my head, I turned expectantly to see Jessica coming down the hall with a hug clay model in her arms.

"Hey, Jessica!" I called, eager to distract myself, and walked to meet her, slamming my locker shut.

"Hey," She said warily.

"What's up?" I asked, taking the falling books from between her bicep and ribs. Instantly worried that she doesn't rush into her daily morning speech.

"I'm taking this stuff to Biology; it's my project."

"It looks great, Jess," I mumble.

She huffed and pushed past some people.

"I tried calling last night," I said, telling a little white lie to nudge along to conversation. So far, Jessica hadn't been the welcome distraction I was looking for.

"I was babysitting," She responded, slowing melting into her usual bubbly self. "I got absolutely zero sleep last night. And I'm not exaggerating. Those two little brats kept me up all night playing with those stupid light saber, Star Wars toys. I didn't even know those _existed_. I spent _hours _trying to settle them down, it's like those kids are constantly on a sugar rush. Finally one of the boys, Toby, I think, or is it Kyle?" She thought for a moment, then waved it off. "Whatever. Anyway, the boy told me that apparently their mom let's them stay up until eleven, but I just wasn't buying it. I sent them to bed and they were quiet for a bit, thank god. But then about an hour later, when I was _trying _to sleep I hear them playing around again. Can I file a lawsuit for sleep deprivation?"

"I'm not sure," I respond, relieved that she only needed a few nudges before turning into good ol' babbling Jessica.

She rambles on for a few more minutes about the Weber twins, and then her tone changes. "But anyways, enough about me. Did you hear about Angela? She called me."

"No, uhm, she didn't call me," I say, remembering the weird phone call last night.

"She's moving back to Forks! I'm so happy! Aren't you?" Jessica's regular bubbliness comes out, full force, and she smiled widely.

"Yeah, completely." I have to admit, even I don't think I sound convincing.

"It's been forever since we seen her! Remember that time we tried to smoke and ended up coughing so hard we cried and scorched a hole in her wood flooring?" Jessica said under her breath as she dodges a few students, then she giggles. "She's going to be super happy to see the schools newest resident. So much has changed!"

It took me a moment to respond, processing that information. "Newest resident?"

"Yeah, he's, like, a total hottie." She gushed.

"Oh." I say, tucking a lock of brown hair behind my ear. "Cool."

Jessica gives me a once over. "Are you getting all depressed again, Bella?"

I flinch, and swallow. This is exactly the kind of questions I avoided. I close my eyes tightly. Uncontrollably, the memories flash behind my closed eyelids. Swallowing the blue pills, succumbing to sudden exhaustion, darkness, so much darkness. Waking up to faces I distinctly remembered, but having no idea what had happened.

"I'll see you at lunch, okay?" I mumble, placing her books back under her bicep and suppressing memories.

"Okay, see you! Tell Ang we're eating in the garden when you see her," She says, instantly forgetting the tension in the air.

I walked sluggishly to class; so far hadn't been a good day.

It wasn't until lunch hour with Jess that my day got infinitely better. That's when I seen _him _for the first time; he was walking with another guy, from the back it looked like Mike Newton, but I was more captivated by the other one. I couldn't distinguish him. He didn't seem to be aware of Mike, though he was talking rapidly to him. I watched with curious eyes as the guy reached up and expertly slid his dark sunglasses off his face, revealing breathtaking satin black eyes.

Jessica noticed my preoccupation, "What?" She looked around the garden, where we were eating lunch, to see his retreating figure.

"Oh, the new guy." She giggled nervously.

"You know him?" I gasped, then realized how stupid that sounded; everyone knew _everyone _in a small town like Forks. The only reason _I _hadn't noticed him was because I had been dazed all day.

"Yeah, he's in my World History class. His name's Damon Salvatore." She gave me a sly look, "But he's probably not interested, he is totally unobservant to the female population."

I bit my lip, "Hmm." I pretended not to hear the way she meant it to be; 'But he's probably not interested in _you_, Bella.'

I sighed, my sheer normality bringing on a wave of despair. Of course I don't have a chance in hell with a guy like Damon. I had only laid eyes on him once, yet I could plainly see that he and I were on opposite sides of the spectrum. He was a Greek god, I was just me.

"Anyways, I heard Rosalie Hale has her eye on him."

"Who?" I asked sharply. I couldn't have heard her right.

"You know, Rosalie. Your sister's friend?" She flipped her dark, curly hair, her eyes appraising me, making me feel self-conscious.

"Yeah, yeah, sorry. I thought I didn't hear you right the first time. Hmm."

The rest of the day passed smoothly, and I didn't see Damon Salvatore again, even though it would have been a pleasant surprise. I trekked home after school, playing an old game called try-not-to-step-on-sidewalk-cracks. I had played this game with myself ever since 5th grade, when I first started walking to and from school. It was as simple as games could go, and it was just enough of an amusement to keep me distracted. I rounded the corner to my house and saw Caroline's parked silver Mercedes. I ran to the big white house and pulled open the front door.

As soon as I stepped into the house, I realized it was too silent. It sounded like every other day when I came home from school and Elena was out, my mom already passed out upstairs. I was just about to go check on Renée when I seen a note on the little coffee table near the stairs, in the bowl where we usually kept keys. I dropped my messenger bag by the door and walked forward to grab the note.

On the front, written in Elena's perfect script, was my name. I held the note hesitantly, weighing the thin paper in my hands and glancing over my shoulder suspiciously. My sister never left notes. One time she left for days without so much as a phone call, Renée and I had been worried that she had been mauled to death by wolves.

Shaking my suspicions away, I unfolded the note and read. "Bella," the note said:

_You're coming to Damon's party with me and the girls. I left some of my clothes for you to wear on your bed. Bonnie will be there at 5 to help you get ready. Please don't throw a fit. We're going this just for you, sis. ;)_

_P.S. Be sure to check on mom before you leave. She popped twice as many of the good stuff than usual._

The note was signed 'Your big sis'.

My stomach lurched. Elena _never _did anything nice for me. And she especially didn't involve me with her group. I mean, sure she was being more open lately to letting me in, but I never thought _this _could be possible. I, Bella Swan, was going to an older guy's party with four of the prettiest, most popular girls in Forks. But there was something else to this feeling, a bitter edge. Why would Elena do this? There had to be something in it for her, some way for her to win, otherwise she wouldn't be trying to make me happy.

A thought occurred to me and my hand balled up into a fist, crumpling the letter. Unless she wasn't doing this to make me happy. Unless she was doing this to embarrass me, to ensure that I would never try to hang out with her again, to get me off her back. What if I put those clothes on, Bonnie got me all dolled up, promising to come back soon with the girls, and then ditched me. Or what if I got to the party and they ditched me without a ride home?

I was still agonizing over these scenarios when I heard banging upstairs. I sighed and threw the note in the garbage, picking up my bag and running up the stairs, two at a time. When I got to my mom's room, she was stumbling out of the bathroom, clutching her stomach. She wiped her mouth messily, her eyes drooping. I dropped my bag and ran to steady her; the look in her eyes were scaring me.

"Mom, are you alright?" I asked, my voice shaking.

She swallowed hard. Her skin was so pallid, it was almost ghostly. Her chocolate brown eyes, so much like mine, were now void of the airy light they used to carry. Her thinning brown hair hung in puffs around her shoulder, framing her oval face. Her lips were dried and very, very light pink.

"Did you just get sick?"

Renée nodded once. "Get me to my bed," she slurred.

I helped her over, keeping one arm wrapped around her torso in case she fell, and the other holding her hand. "Mom, seriously, are you okay? I need to know if I should call Phil-"

"No," she snapped, bowing her head. "No, no more Phil."

"You broke up?" I gasped. Suddenly, her behavior and appearance made sense. I was about to question her about it, but as she laid slowly on the bed, I noticed a bottle of white spirits under her pillow. I gaped, my voice too weak to carry out my questions. My heart dropped.

Renée didn't seem to notice my preoccupation. Instead, she rummaged through her bedside table. I was too distracted to wonder what she was looking for.

At first, I was devastated. How could my mother risk her life this way? Didn't she love Elena and I at all? At least enough to _try _to live? And then, suddenly, violently, I was angry. My mother, the woman who was supposed to be watching out for me and caring for me, was popping sleeping pills and washing them back with Vodka. I breathed in a loud gust of air and blew it out in the same moment. Nevertheless, it was my job to take care of her now. Not the other way around.

My resolve vanished when I seen what she was searching for in her bedside table. Prescription sleeping pills.

I snatched them from her, not even bothering to think it through. "Are you insane? Are you trying to kill yourself? What is _wrong _with you?"

Renée nose-sighed and held her hand out lazily. "Can I have those back, baby? Mommy needs to sleep."

"Don't patronize me; you know I'm not your baby anymore. You're not getting these back."

She huffed, then suddenly threw her arms out, trying to strike me. "GIVE THEM TO ME! I NEED THEM!"

I stepped back, easily evading her blows. She fell to the floor at my feet, bursting out crying. I watched her with tears in my eyes, holding the pills high above my head. "Don't let her see you cry, don't let her see you cry," I chanted in whispers, too low for her to hear over her moaning.

"I need them... Please, Bella, baby... I need them..." She sobbed, curling over on herself, trying to get herself upright.

I squeezed the tears out of my eyes and stepped around her just as she was reaching out to me. She caught my foot and looked up at me, tears making her eyes bright again, despite the red swelling. She grimaced, her stained bottom teeth showing. "You can't do this to me, Bella," she mumbled.

Shaking my foot free, I took a few steps away from her, looking back at the pathetic mess that used to be my mother. "You did this to yourself," I answered, surprised when my voice didn't sound as empty as I felt.

Just as I closed my mothers door and picked up my bag again, there was a flutter of a knock on the front door. Instantly, I knew it was Bonnie. I slung my messenger bag over my body and trudged to get the front door.

Behind it was tiny, perky Bonnie McCullough. As soon as she seen my expression her wide smile dropped. She glanced up at my mom's closed door and back at me. "Your mom, again?"

I nodded. "You're quick," I mumbled, not even bothering to change the depressed tone in my voice.

To my surprise, Bonnie grabbed me by the shoulder and pulled me in for a big hug. "Elena used to deal with this all the time, I remember."

"She handled it a bit better than me."

"Elena knows how to handle anything." Bonnie smirked, then looked me over again, a new light entering her eyes.

"What?" I asked, crossing my arms over my chest self-consciously.

Bonnie grabbed my hand and towed me up to my room, answering me on the way. "Just wondering what to do with you. For the record, I'm so excited that Elena's finally let you into our little gang." She turned to me and smiled sweetly, as if she really meant it. "It's like your own little prodigy!"

"Thanks," I muttered dryly.

Her face dropped. "I thought you'd be more pleased about it."

I sighed, then made an effort to lift my face and perk up. "I am, really. Honest."

Bonnie pursed her full red lips, then shrugged and turned to dump her purse on my bed. Out tumbled the contents of an entire MAC store. Despite my best efforts, my face twisted up in a grimace.

"The sooner you get ready, the sooner we can get out of here..." Bonnie reminded me, tipping her head pointedly towards my mom's room.

My stomach gave another unpleasant flip, thinking of my mother sprawled out on her floor. "Okay, let's get this show on the road."

.

**A/N Please review! And if you're interested on being my Beta for this story, shoot me a message. I'm in desperate need of a Beta!**


	4. Rewarded

**A/N I hope you guys like this chapter! I ask you to please leave a review, telling me what you think. If you have any questions or concerns, feel free to PM me. Oh, and if anyone's interesting in being my Beta for this story, let me know! :D Don't forget to review!  
**

**Chapter 3**

* * *

As Bonnie smoothed another straightened lock of my hair down, I couldn't help the nagging feeling that bloomed in my stomach. I tried to pass it off as nerves when Bonnie asked what was wrong, but something was telling me that tonight wasn't all it was cracked up to be. It brewed inside me. A lingering suspicion that I couldn't deny. Why would Elena do all this? What was in it for her? In a way, I was nervous. Nervous that as soon as I got to that party the girls would spill pigs blood all over me.

There was also something else stirring in my stomach, though, waking butterflies. I realized that I was so close to having best girl friends. So close to having someone to go to for advice, so close to people sticking up for me, so close to being a part of something bigger than me. How could I ever gather the courage to pass it up? I could have friends that were more like sisters and who didn't judge me at every turn. If I became a permanent member of Elena's clique, soon people would stare at me with awe and envy, the way they stared at the girls. I would suddenly be someone beautiful and important. I would be wanted.

I thought of Damon Salvatore and all the other cute boys I seen around school. I was already a Sophomore, yet none of them had even glanced my way. Maybe if I had the girls' help, then _I _would be the controlling _them_, making _them _nervous, making _them _want me. It could all be so easy and it was just within my grasp. Maybe.

"There," Bonnie said with sudden conviction. She had been making little comments every now and then, but otherwise as silent as me. "I'm done. Your hair looks fantastic."

"Thanks, Bonnie," I mumbled, struggling to keep my voice light. Absently, I ran my fingers through the deep brown of my hair. I had to admit it looked thicker and shinier than usual. Bonnie studied me in the mirror, paying acute attention to my reaction. I realized that she wanted me to say more about her work.

"I couldn't have done it without you?" I tried, hoping that the uncertainty in my voice didn't make my statement more of a question.

Bonnie let out a pleased breath, looking content with my response. "No, you really couldn't have."

I let out a silent sigh of relief. "Now what?"

"Now, we get you dressed," Bonnie responded, moving towards the bed.

I got one glance at the mini dress on the bed and then grabbed Bonnie by the wrist, unable to control my hammering heart beat. "Bonnie ..." I started, looking into her light brown eyes. They blinked innocently, full of surprise. "Bonnie, what is this really about?"

"What do you mean?" She chirped.

"You know what I mean," I answered, my voice low and secretive, even though we were the only two people in the house besides my mom. "This makeover, Elena's note, and now this pretty dress?" I touched the light fabric with my fingertips. It was deep blue, tight and short. Something about the material told me it was expensive. I looked up at Bonnie. "Why is Elena doing this?"

Bonnie bit her lip, deciding, then smirked. "She just wants you to look your best. There's going to be important people there and you need to make a good impression."

"But why?" I asked quietly, a dip forming between my eyebrows.

"I've already said too much," Bonnie snapped, her light eyes turning serious, her mouth twisting up in a sneer. "You know all you need to know, Bella." Then she turned away from me and picked up the dress, pretending to study it.

I stepped back, stunned by Bonnie's strong reaction. I gave her a long, hard stare, waiting for her to turn back with her usual bright white smile, but she didn't. Finally, I turned away to make a break for it. Bonnie's hand caught my wrist, lightening fast. "Where are you going?"

Wriggling my arm free, I opened the door and stepped out in one fluid movement. "I'm going to get shoes from my room, be right back."

"Elena already laid out shoes," Bonnie said quickly, before I could shut the door.

"They're not the right size," I called as I scampered to my room. When I stepped into my dark room, I let out a huge sigh of relief. I ran my hands over my face, then dropped them when I remembered I was wearing makeup. I flicked on the light and went towards the small mirror on my desk. Thankfully, no makeup had been smudged, but as I stared in the mirror, I noticed something was off.

I turned slowly, my heart picking up the pace. My bedroom window was open, the white curtains billowing out. Cold wind swirled around my room, though I hadn't realized before; it was freezing. I wrapped my arms around myself, rubbing the goosebumps that suddenly covered them. I took a shaky step towards the window, steeling myself instinctively, just in case there was someone waiting for me. I reached out one trembling hand, and when my fingertips met the cold metal of the handle, I let the breath of anticipation out of my lungs.

I struggled to close the window for a few minutes; it was so stuck I wondered how long it had been open. Finally, I got it shut with a loud click.

"Bella ..." the voice filled the room and I whipped around, my heart beating violently again. I looked around the room, waiting for the intruder to show himself. There was a light tap on my window and I whirled around again, gasping. Suddenly the lights flicked off. I stumbled towards the end of the room until I felt the bed against the back of my legs.

I could barely see two feet in front of me; it was so dark outside. The moon was covered by a blanket of thick, grey clouds. Whoever was in the room with me made no sound, yet I knew they were there, watching me.

I sucked in a breath, trying to make as little noise as possible. Maybe if it didn't sound like I was here, then the burglar or whoever it was would just leave my room and carry on through the house. Bonnie started up music in the other room, "Teeth" by Lady Gaga, and I froze.

Suddenly I could hear something in the room, little steps being taken towards me. My lips parted as terror washed through me. "Please," I squeaked, and the footsteps stopped. "Please, don't hurt me."

A moment of hesitation filled the room, my words hung in the air. The little spot between my eyes started to throb. "I won't hurt you," a satiny smooth voice whispered. Then he stepped forward from the shadows.

I couldn't help my sudden intake of breath; I was so utterly awed. This boy (really more of a man) was the most beautiful person I'd ever seen. I could feel myself melting, even though I knew I should still be terrified. His face looked carved out of stone; his golden eyes shone, even in the dark; his perfect pale lips were full and supple; his odd bronze hair was messily styled yet falling in all the right places; his body was long, and underneath his light green sweater, his forearms bulged. He was absolutely perfect.

"Who...?" I began, unable to finish.

"Shh," he whispered, taking another step towards me, holding up a finger. The boy listened for a minute, but when Bonnie's music continued, he took another step in my direction. "My name is Edward Cullen, I'm here to warn you."

His words surprised me. "Warn me?"

Edward Cullen held a hand up, as if to touch my face, yet he was still a few feet away. "Yes, Bella. These people here that you surround yourself with don't have your best interests in mind. It would be wise to stay away from them."

I stiffened. Of course I should have known that the girls couldn't be trusted, they never wanted me in their clique. I was stupid to have thought otherwise. Then a thought occurred to me. "How do you know all of this? How do you even know my name?"

Edward heard the defensive tone in my voice and his eyes softened. "You're a very special girl, Bella. There's so much that you have yet to discover."

"What does that mean?" I asked, then shook my head, trying to clear my thoughts. "I don't understand."

"You will understand, in time." Edward responded, his gold eyes boring into mine. "For now, you must trust me. You're not safe in their world, Bella."

I crossed my arms over my chest. There was something strange about this Edward, something that I couldn't explain. How did he know my name? How did he know where I lived? How could he know what the girls were up to? I felt this curious attraction towards him. I wanted to know who he was, what his intentions were. And not just that, I wanted to know how his hair felt underneath my fingertips. I wanted to see his expression change, to wonder at his beauty. But I couldn't do all that just yet.

Abruptly, Bonnies music cut off. Edward and I met eyes once, then he started towards my window with such grace that it took my breath away.

"Wait!" I whisper-shouted. I ran after him, catching his hand. Then I pulled away just as fast; his hand was ice-cold. He met my eyes, as if he was wondering what I was thinking. "When will I see you again?" I breathed.

Edward searched my eyes, then wretched my window open, throwing his legs over the side. "You won't see me again," his voice was flat, and I couldn't help but think he was hiding something. Then he jumped down, dissapearing into the darkness.

Bonnie arrived in my room seconds later, carrying the dress in her hands. "Why is it so dark in here?" She asked, switching the lights on.

"I thought I was getting a migraine," I covered absently, glancing out the window. "I'm fine now, though." I turned back to Bonnie, half-smiling. "Are you almost done making me pretty?"

She rolled her eyes, the corner of her mouth quirking up. "Yes, all we need to do is get you dressed. Elena and the rest of the girls will be here any minute; so hurry your butt up. I'll go downstairs and make us some cocktails." She gave me a wink before slipping out the door.

I dressed quickly, not even making sure that my makeup didn't smudge of my hair didn't get messed; I knew that I would end up a mess anyway. I didn't even know why I was still going through with this party thing when Edward already told me they were planning on sabotaging me; I didn't even know why I should trust Edward. I smoothed the deep blue dress out, looking down at it. It really was a pretty dress, with beading details around the long-sleeved arm cuffs and a scoop neck that showed off my collar bone nicely. I couldn't help but notice how attractive the color look against my ivory skin. The only problem was the length of the frock. It skimmed the middle of my thigh; much shorter than what I was used to. I picked out an older pair of black boots from my closet, pleased with my decision. Black went with blue, right?

Satisfied, I skipped down the stairs and into the kitchen, where I found Bonnie raiding the liquor cabinet. She balanced a few bottles against each other in her arms as she carried them to the island, where 5 tumblers filled with ice waited. I went to her side, looking over her findings: White spirits and golden brown whiskey. I picked up the whiskey and held the bottle up, the light catching the liquid and almost lighting it up; the color reminded me of Edward's eyes. I set the bottle back in it's place carefully, banishing all thoughts of him for the rest of the evening.

Bonnie nudged me in the hip. I looked up at her, her eyes were sparkling beautifully. "Are you still okay?"

This time I gave her a real smile. Despite her intentions, I knew Bonnie really cared for me. And I cared for her. "Yes, thank you, Bonnie."

She patted my hand. "No problem, Bella. I really am glad you're hanging with us tonight."

At that moment, everything felt right. Then the door flew open and Elena marched in with Caroline and Rosalie following at her heels. Instantly, Elena's violet-blue eyes went to me, raking me up and down. Her eyes landed on my beat-up boots and she smirked slightly. Her eyes met mine again, she nodded once then turned to Bonnie. "You did good, Bon. She looks ... cute." Elena looked over her shoulder at Caroline and Rose and tipped her head towards me.

Caroline was the first to come over to me, she touched my arm gently and smiled a wide Cheshire-cat smile. "You look fab, Bella. Totally gorgeous."

"Thanks," I mumbled, reaching up to tuck a lock of hair behind my ear nervously.

Elena caught my hand before I could. I looked up at her questioningly but she just shook her head.

Rosalie strutted towards me, giving me a once over. "She does have a certain ... charm about her tonight." Then Rose winked and went to sit at the island, fixing herself a cocktail.

Bonnie stepped up, placing her hands on my shoulders. "I know you're all in awe of my work, but it's already 10 and if we wanted to be fashionably late, we'd better get this party started."

"Yeah!" Caroline exclaimed, pouring Vodka and Red Bull into her tumbler.

Without a moment's hesitation, the girls began pouring tumblers of mixed alcohol, plugging in Elena's iPod to blast music. Sitting down next to Elena and Rose at the island, I looked up at the ceiling, wondering whether my mom was too doped up to come and check out this little pre-party. Caroline and Bonnie were singing a Nicki Minaj song at the top of their lungs, shimmying their hips, popping their butts and raising their arms above their heads while Rose and Elena watched, laughing loudly. Before I even had time to think about it, Elena was sticking a red tinted tumbler into my hand without looking away from Caroline and Bonnie's performance.

I took a sneaky glance around the room, but none of the other girls noticed. I pressed the cup against my lips, tipping the pungent liquid into my mouth. It stung my tongue at once and I quickly swallowed, making a face.

Suddenly the girls burst out into laughter. I had forgotten to make sure no one was watching while I drank. The girls had been measuring my reaction, and I suppose it made then laugh. I blushed uncontrollably, unable to help laughing along with them. "This drink is shit," I said.

Elena patted my hand. "You'll get used to it."

After I finished the drink in my tumbler (which didn't get any better, I might add) plus a refill, I was beginning to really feel it. My head felt heavier than before, and my mouth felt stuffed full of cotton balls. There was a pleasant warmth in my stomach that made me laugh the loudest, dance the most, and think way less. By the time the playlist on Elena's iPod finished, we were already heading out the door. I was glad I hadn't worn the heels Elena had picked out; I would surely have fallen down by now.

We all fell into Caroline's silver Mercedes; I had forgotten it was still here. I wonder what Caroline had been doing at my house; I hadn't seen her. Again, music was cranked while we drove. The girls sang along to every song on the radio while I giggled and tried to get the words right. Abruptly, though, Elena turned the music down, twisting around in the passenger seat to look at me.

"Bella," she started, suddenly looking more alert than the rest of us. "I don't want you to embarrass us tonight. It's very important that you act the part, okay?"

I hiccuped once, feeling worried without an explanation. "Which part am I playing, again?"

Bonnie nudged me, giving me a warning look with her eyes.

"What?" I whispered to her.

"God, Bella's stupid when she's drunk," I barely heard Caroline murmur from beside Bonnie.

My eyebrows creased; why was Caroline being so mean to me? "What's going on?" I asked, my palms getting sweaty. Then I blurted, "Is this about the guy?"

"What did you tell her?" Elena snapped, suddenly glaring at Bonnie.

"Nothing!" I insisted, quick to defend my new friend. "I just need to know a few things first, Elena. If you don't mind."

She squinted at me, licking her lips, then her expression smoothed out and she appraised me with new-found respect. I straightened in my seat; it's about time! Elena sat up straighter, too, then she began speaking. "What you're about to go through is what each of us had to endure. It's not simple, but it's not designed to be. It will test your skills, so we can decide whether or not you deserve to be one of us. This is your initiation, Bella. First was the makeover, which you passed, but just barely."

"What-?" I started to ask, but Elena was one step ahead of me.

"The shoes, Bella. I set out killer heels for you and instead you chose boots. We passed you because you look the part, but that was a freebie. From now on you have to do exactly what we say, otherwise you're ousted. At this party, you will have to work the room. There will be plenty of boys ogling you, so it will only make this task easier. If you pass, then we're onto the next step."

"Which is?" I inquired through unmoving lips.

Elena shook her golden hair back from her lovely face. "Don't get ahead of yourself, Bella. Focus on the task at hand. You have to get 3 guys silently approved by us to get you drinks and then you have to give them a kiss. That's it. If you pass this, then we'll introduce you to our friend." Her expression hardened noticeably. "And if he thinks you're satisfactory, well ... we'll just wait and see what happens."

I gulped hard, hiccuping again. Something about her hard expression, and the faces of the silent passengers in the car, told me she was withholding information. This wasn't just about my initiation; it was much bigger than that. It was something they were all terrified of, something that wasn't in their control, and for some strange, unperceivable reason, I was at the center of it all. I wondered what the girls had gotten themselves into, and at what price.

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**A/N Thoughts? Lemme know in a short review!**


	5. Worst Fear

**A/N Hey guys! I'm so happy to be updating again, sorry for the long wait! This chap has many unexpected twists in it though. :) Also, plenty of Damon AND Edward! With a cute lil moment at the end. :)  
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**Chapter 4**

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The bass was pounding from the minute we turned onto Damon's street. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn't bite back the bile. The girls had dragged me into their plan without me even realizing it. Now I could either mope in the car, or pick up my balls and get into that house. But I was so scatter-brained that I didn't even notice when Bonnie grabbed my hand and began pulling me out.

As I was expecting, there was cars parked along the street for blocks. Apparently Damon always went all-out, or so Elena said. Now my sister was leading the pack through the few people lingering on the lawn. I was suddenly so numb I no logner felt the alcohol. All I felt was a keen awareness.

We enterred the double door-way into the house and froze. This was the most beautiful foyer I had ever been in. It looked more like a ballroom, especially considering how many people it was housing. The walls were lined with chatting people, in the center of the room, a dance floor was formed with girls and guys gyrating against each other. There was a mezzanine above where people were conversing. This seemed like the classier section, with the exception of the half-naked girl leaning off the railing.

I tried to tune into Elena and Rosalie's conversation, but they were speaking too quietly. Bonnie was still holding my hand, and I just let her. Maybe all the guys at the party will think I'm a lesbian and they'll leave me alone. I know I spoke big before about making guys fall all over me, but none of the drunk d-bags seem like my type. Not that I had a type.

With this thought in mind, I clung to Bonnie. "This is a pretty wild party," I whispered close to her ear, playing the part. Her sweet-smelling red hair tickled my nose.

She turned towards me with a huge smile. "I know, right? C'mon, let's go find drinks."

So we left the girls, Bonnie leading me up the lush staircase towards the mezzanine. It was less packed on the stairs, for which I was grateful. Bonnie whipped me up a drink in a plastic red cup and then made her own. She handed it to me with a flourish.

"So, what do you think?" Bonnie asked as we leaned against the railing and gazed down at the party-goers.

I shrugged. "This is the first party I've ever been to so I don't have much to compare it to."

Bonnie was silent for a minute, then she smirked. "Well, your night's about to get infinitely better."

I looked towards the staircase, where she was looking. Elena, Rose, and Caroline were heading towards us with none other than Damon Salvatore.

They stopped in front of us, and Elena placed a claw-like hand on his arm. "Bella, this is Damon Salvatore, as I'm sure you know. Damon, this is my kid sister, Bella."

"H-hi," I stammered, blushing from the heat of their stares. "Pleased to meet you."

Then suddenly everything in the world fell away. The pounding bass of the music, the screams of partiers, my sister's glare. It all vanished when he took my hand and brought it towards his lips. Just as he was about to kiss it, his eyes flickered up to meet mine and he smirked. "It's my pleasure, Isabella."

I swallowed, then slipped my hand away from his. "Where's your bathroom?" I mumbled.

In my peripherals, I seen Elena roll her eyes.

The corner of his mouth quirks up in the most charming way. "Just down the hall. Would you... like me to show you?"

I shake my head, crossing my arms. "I think I can find my way."

I scamper down the hall, cursing myself for being so childish. I should have shook my hair back, smirked in a way that would make his heart stop and acted equally sexy. But I knew deep down that I could never pull that off. Blatant flirting was saved for people like Damon and Elena, not mousy little people like me.

Just as I reached the halfway point in the hall, I decided to turn back. I didn't even need to pee. I should go back, apologize to whoever looked mad, and find some guy to kiss me.

But when I got back to the mezzanine, I couldn't find either of the girls nor Damon. I settled for just waiting at the drink table. I could carry on with the plan without the girls supervising, right?

Just as I thought this, someone tapped my elbow. It was a tall guy with spiky grey-black hair and a charming smile. "Sorry, I don't want to bother you..." He trails off, regarding me.

"You're not bothering me at all," I say so he'll get to the point.

He smiles wider and sticks out his hand. "I'm Tyler."

Hesitantly, I place my hand in his. Compared to his tanned skin, I look like an albino. But I don't bring this up. "Bella Swan."

"No way!" His eyes widen. "Is your sister Elena G?!"

"Uhm... yes?"

Tyler's eyes get that look in them that every sophomore guy gets when he thinks of my sister, and I just know he's completely in for her. I decide Tyler wasn't going to be one of the 3 to get a kiss from me.

"Have you seen my sister? I'm here with her and our friends and I kind of lost them." I smile ruefully.

He nods, still smiling, with that Elena-look in his eyes. Jeez, this guy is friendly. Maybe he does deserve a kiss. "She just went down that hall with her clique and Damon."

"Thanks," I smile.

So I head down that same hall, even though it looks empty to me. Maybe they're in one of the rooms? But every door is closed. I decide to listen outside each one for a second. No harm done, right?

I'm getting nothing until I come across a door with a sign on it 'KEEP OUT'. I lean against the door, keeping breath minimal, and trying to be as quiet as humanly possible. That's when I hear Elena's voice.

"So you think you can do it?" She says, not bothering to quiet her voice.

"Of course I can," Damon responds. "Do you know who I am? All I'm saying is that it's not going to be easy. And that little piece you've got out there isn't going to last long."

"That little piece has a name," Bonnie interjects.

"Bella isn't going to find out," Elena insists. "She's so clueless I bet she's macking on some guy right now."

As Caroline, Rose and my sister laugh at my expense, it sounds like Damon is scratching something. In my mind, I picture him ruining a cherry oak coffee table with some doodle.

I can't concentrate on that for too long though, because they start talking in cryptic notes again.

"So we start tomorrow?" Damon calls everyone to attention.

"Of course," Elena purrs.

Rosalie suddenly says, "But you have to admit... Bella's looking older today, right? She's kind of, I don't know, perfect."

Her statement confuses me. I thought Rose and I silently agreed to keep it quiet? She must be saying this for Damon. Yes, that must be it. I was very prepared to pretend the kiss I shared with Rosalie never happened. I didn't want that to be my first official kiss.

"Does someone have a little crush?" Caroline teases, but underneath the joke, her voice sounds strained.

"I mean for Jacob."

I freeze at the mention of Jacob Black. Of course this has to do with him. Of course. But why? What does he have to do with any of us? Maybe some feud between he and Damon...?

Then Damon answers. "She'll do the job."

And the way he says it, icy with a suggestive undertone, gives me all the courage I need. I push away from the door and walk away. But with every step, my heart burns more, until I feel the need to cry. No, don't cry. Not here. I pick up the pace. The girls making fun of me, planning on taking my innocence. I start running. Edward was right.

By the time I get a handle on my emotions, I realize I've gone further than the house than I wanted. It's dark and cold. Tears are running down my face. There's no one around, so I sit on the curb and curl into a pathetic lump.

"Bella," Edward whispers, touching me with his cold hand.

"Ahh!" I scream, jumping up. When I see it's him, I instanly calm, wiping my tears discreetly. "Oh, it's you."

"I wanted to make sure you were alright."

"I thought I would never see you again." I sit beside him, pushing my hair onto my back.

"You wouldn't have ... but I didn't expect you to need my help so soon."

"I don't need your help, I just-" I choked on my words, the whole episode returning to my mind. "You were right. They don't have my best interests at heart." I bite my lips to keep from sobbing.

He touches my arm again, except I don't pull away. I anticipated the cold as his hand trailed down my arm, weaving itself through my fingers. I look at our hands intertwined, white on white. "I never thought I'd find someone the same as me," I mumbled.

"Me neither," he whispered so low, I wasn't sure if I heard it. Then he changed the subject. "What are you afraid of, Bella? More than anything."

I looked at him, he was staring at the moon above. It lit his face so beautifully, I couldn't look away. His skin so pale, his lips so perfectly proportioned, with his bottom lip pouted slightly. Then he turned towards me and I looked away.

I cleared my throat. "More than anything?" I thought for a moment, then decided to answer honestly. Preparing myself, I took a deep breath, letting my words out with a breath. "Becoming my mother. She has depression, like me. We used to look the same, except she was more beautiful. You wouldn't know it by looking at her today, though." I pause, remembering the spit up on her chin, the crumpled mess that was my mother.

"But unlike her, I take pills for my illness. Don't get me wrong, she takes takes all kinds of medication, along with alcohol to wash it down." I pause, remembering my incident last fall. The blue pills in stark contrast with my pale skin. My mother weeping in the emergency. No, I wouldn't tell him about my overdose just yet.

"I... I think my mom and I are the same. And in time, I'm going to become just like her. A pathetic excuse for a woman, unable to take care of my kids, working a job I hate. Just... miserable."

I turned to meet Edward's eyes. "I've never told anyone that before."

He reached up with the hand that wasn't holding mine, and wiped a new tear away. His hand stayed there, cold against my face. Yet the getsure was comforting. I pressed my face into his hand, staring into his beautiful liquid golden brown eyes.

"I'm here for you, Bells," He whispered, sweet breath fanning my face. "I can't promise you won't be sad, but I won't let anyone hurt you."

"You can't promise that," I shook my head.

Edward's eyes suddenly burned with a new intensity. He stood, reaching down to lift me up beside him and turning towards me. "I give you my word, Isabella Swan."

Then he leaned down slowly. "Bella..." he whispered.

My gaze flickered to his lips and my heart stopped. Was this is? Was I about to lose my lip virginity to Edward Cullen, a boy I barely knew but just pledged to protect me? There was no doubting the deep longing that burned in my chest. I wanted him to kiss me. I needed him to kiss me and wipe away the memory of this night.

Then our noses brushed, our breath mingled and I placed my hands against his hard chest. This was it. The anticipation was thick in the air.

"Come on," he suddenly said, pulling away. "Let's get you home."

And just like that, our moment was gone.

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**A/N Bahahaha I'm so evil! Bella's first official kiss will come soon, don't worry! In the mean-time, tell me your thoughts on this chapter! If I get reviews, I promise to update sooner next time! :)**


	6. Stolen

**Chapter 5**

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Edward drove me home in a shiny Volvo, with comfy warm leather seats. He dropped me half a block away from my house, in case my sister seen. I told him there was no worry; she always stayed late at parties. Before I exited the car, his cold fingers brushed mine once more. I looked at him.

"Thank you ..." He whispered, staring at my pale hand under his.

"For what?" I inquired, my eyebrows scrunching up.

"For not being afraid of me," Edward murmured, his beautiful lips brushing against each other. Then he looked up through his lashes and into my eyes, his golden gaze smoldering.

It suddenly became very hard to breathe. Outside, a crow shrieked. "Why would I ever be afraid of you?"

He stared at me a moment longer, my question hanging in the air between us. Then suddenly, Edward pulled away, pushing as far away from me as the car allowed. His hand clenched so tight around the vehicle it turned white. "You should go."

I flinched, but opened the door without saying a word. He remained still as stone in the front seat, so I shut the door and started walking the rest of the way home. He zoomed past me, leaving my hair in a disarray and my mind muddled. He had seemed so sweet, then suddenly he turned to stone. What had happened? Was this just because I wasn't scared of him? How could I be, when he promised to protect me?

These thoughts raced through my mind as I teetered towards home. I was now completely sober, but the weight of the night was still coming down on me.

I go to the front door, pleased to see all the lights turned off. That meant Elena wasn't home yet. I opened the front door, planning on heading straight to bed, when the lights in the den flickered to life.

All of the girls were there, waiting for me. My mouth dropped open and I let the door close behind me, taking a few steps towards them. "H-hi."

Elena's violet-blue eyes burned fiercely, but she said nothing. Instead, Caroline spoke up. "Where were you, Bells?"

"We looked everywhere for you," Bonnie put in.

"We were worried," Rosalie confirmed.

I looked back towards the door as I leaned against the door frame, exhausted. Should I tell them about Edward? He was a mysterious stranger without a last name who snuck into my room earlier tonight. No, they'd sooner call the cops than give me advice.

Lying was my only option. "I was, uhm... The party got too loud and, uhm ... It was my first party, so I just... decided to come home..."

Elena doesn't look convinced. Actually, she has a look on her face that tell me she knows exactly what I was doing. Except, I wasn't in the wrong here. I suddenly remembered the muted conversation I head between them and Damon. They were just using me.

"I'm going to bed," I muttered.

"Not so fast," Elena called out, her voice icy sharp.

I froze, turning with wide eyes. "Yes?"

She stood, moving with easy grace towards me. Then, Elena said something so low, it was impossible the girls could hear. "How about a truth for truth?" She leaned away, smiling at me. "This conversation isn't over, Bella."

Numbly, I turned away, going up to my room. I decide before going to bed, I must shower. There are at least 3 layers of makeup on my face and a can of hairspray to hold my mane up.

The waters scalding hot when I jump in, but I barely register it, letting it soak my entire body. I focus on the task at hand. Pick up the shampoo bottle. Squirt the strawberry smelling goo on my hand. Pile my hair on top of my head and scrub. Rinse. Lather on conditioner. Leave in while washing my body.

The problem with this, though, is that it only keeps my hands busy. My mind is still spinning. I find it hard to think about anything else. Isn't my english assignment due tomorrow? Who cares about that when I might be raped by Jacob Black? I shudder under the hot water.

Mechanically, I turn the shower off, wrapping myself in a warm fluffy bath robe. I'm still shivering, but I think it has more to do with fear than coldness.

Just as I step out of the shower, four hands grab me, throwing a scratchy brown bag over my head. One pair of hands holds me to him as I wrestle free, while the other ties my hands back with a thick cord. I scream as the hands drag me out of my bath room. Much to my horror, instead of heading towards the door, one of my kidnappers throws me over his shoulder and jumps out of my_ second story window. _

I scream louder, hoping the girls will hear me, but it's too late. They throw me onto hard metal (the back of a van?) and slam the doors shut behind me.

Through the bag, I can tell it's pitch black inside the van. I'm alone. My breathing is ragged and hitched. Tears begin to stream down my face as the van started moving. My heart pounds against my ribs intensely, blood rushes to my ears. But I will myself not to beg them to let me go. They already have the advantage, I need to keep some pride.

So, despite my nearly disabling fear, I take deep breaths, steadying my heart rate. Slowly, I begin to calm. My tears dry on my face and my hands stop shaking.

Now I have to wonder where we're going. The road had been smooth, now it's bumpy and gravelly. Then, with a burst of intuition, I realize we're going to the Reservation.

I've been kidnapped by Jacob Black.

.

"You think she knows?" Bonnie gasps, her full red lips forming a small o.

Elena shook her head. "I'm not sure... but she knows something."

"Do you think she heard anything at the party?" Caroline asks.

"What could she have heard? We were in Damon's room when we talked strategy, and Bella was in the washroom."

"Unless she wasn't," Caroline pointed out.

The girls were silent, each lost in their own thoughts, looking at each other wide-eyed. If Bella found out, they all knew it was over. Bella would refuse to help and they had no time to find a back-up. And if the plan failed, well...

"The plan can't fail," Elena concluded. And, coming to same realization, the girls nodded. "We have to tell Bells before she puts the pieces together on her own. Otherwise I don't know how we can get her on our side."

Rose clears her throat and stands, looking up towards Bella's room. "I can go talk to her if you want ..."

Elena, Caroline and Bonnie exchange a look. "We'll all go," Elena decided. "It'd be best to tell her as a group."

Rose meets Elena's superior gaze and drops her eyes, realizing her fault.

The girls parade up the stairs, intent on bringing Bella to their side. "Let me take the lead here, girls. None of your know Bella like I do."

But none of them were prepared as they entered the room. On Bella's bed, sat a small blue box. The room was empty, void of life.

"Bon, go check the bathroom," Elena ordered.

Bonnie half-ran, only to find an empty washroom, with obvious signs of force. A wet towel lay on the floor, the shower curtain had been torn down, and someone had stepped on a shampoo bottle, spraying the goo everywhere.

The petite girl stumbled out, her eyes were saucers. "She's gone. Someone took her."

Elena's face was a sickly green as she struggled to maintain composure. She was standing at the foot of Bella's bed, slowly, she picked up the robin's egg blue box. Bella's favorite color. How could they know that?

She opened the box. In the place where a ring should fit, as a tiny note. In expert calligraphy, someone had written; _I win._

"I... I don't recognize this writing," Elena whispered, horrified.

"Are you sure it's not Jacob's?" Rose asked quietly, nervously.

Elena shook her head fiercely. "It's not Jacob's. It's too neat to be his. Whoever this is..." She trailed off, snapping the box shut and turned to the girls. "We have to find Bella."

.

**A/N Yeah, this is kind of a filler, but next chapter we find out what the big plan is! Can any of you guess it? I bet nooOOoot! (if you read that in a sing-song voice, you get a gold star! :P) Review if you like the story and wanna see more, guys!**


	7. Intimidation

**A/N Thanks for the reviews! They really inspire me to keep going. :) Wish I could see more, though! *wink, wink* This chapter introduces 3 new characters so keep your eyes pealed for them! This one tells two stories, flipping in between both. One being told from the perspective of Bella (obvi) and Elena! So that should be interesting, non? :) As per usual, this chap contains as many twists and turns as I could fit annnnd we learn a huge part of the "big plan"! Enjoy! :D **

**Chapter 6**

* * *

After a nauseating 18 minute drive, I figured we must have arrived at La Push when the metal van stopped. It stopped so suddenly, it knocked me from my knees onto my stomach. My sack covered cheek collided with the sand-sprinkled floor. I gritted my teeth, straining my wrists painfully against the leather cord wrapped around them. Maybe if I pulled hard enough, the cord would come loose?

But deep down I knew it was worthless to try. Soon they were dragging me from the back of the van, across what felt and sounded like gravel, and through the wide door of what smelled like a worn-down building. Then they strapped me to a cold metal chair, all the while I had been kicking and screaming. They hadn't even let up once. These guys were strong, and didn't get short of breath. What the hell kind of superhuman's were they? _Who _were they?

"Why are you doing this?!" I shout.

There was some shuffling, then came the creaky sound of a slamming door. Were they leaving me here to die? My breathing hitched. Well, no one was around to hear, right? I let out a small moan, leaning my head back against my chair. They hadn't taken the bag off and my face was heating up, my eyes stinging and skin irritated.

"Excuse me!" I yell in the direction of the door. "You idiots forgot to take this bag off my head! Unless you want me to suffocate before you get whatever the hell you want!"

I wait. Finally, after 2 minutes, one of the henchmen comes back in and rips the bag off my face. There's only one dim light and it's in the corner of the vast room, so I need to blink a couple times before I can see the face of one of my kidnappers.

Much to my surprise, the face is feminine, with elfish features and short black hair. She's dressed in a sleek gray pant suit with a yellow blouse. Her bright black eyes sink into dark circles, and when she smiles wide the light reflects off her teeth eerily. This petite girl looks like a fairy, the complete opposite of the boy I was expecting.

"Hello, Isabella. I'm Alice Cullen," She says, crouching in front of me. "Now let's talk about why you're here."

Definitely not what I was expecting.

.

"Okay, where do we start?" Rosalie asks, climbing into the back of Caroline's Mercedes.

"With Damon, of course. Right, Elena?" Caroline blurts, looking to their leader.

I sit in the passenger seat, wringing my hands out. I know it may look like I know what I'm doing, but I'm feeling just as frantic as the other girls. Well, maybe not Bonnie. Right now she looks like she's about to hurl in the backseat. Point is I need to get a handle on things. Bella wouldn't be with Damon, that's for sure. She wouldn't even let him hold her hand. And Damon certainly wouldn't sneak into Bella's room and force her to leave.

But who _would_ kidnap Bella? Only Damon would know.

"We start with talking to Damon, see if he knows anyone who would want to take Bella."

"And then?" Bonnie whispers.

"Then we go from there."

It only takes us 10 minutes to get to Damon's, thanks to Caroline's kick-ass car, so we're making good time. When we get there, the party is still in full swing. "You guys stay here, I should do this alone."

"What?" Caroline snaps.

"Why?" Rosalie sneers.

"Are you sure?" Bonnie asks sweetly, and in that moment I am very grateful for her.

"We can't feel like we're ambushing him, we need to keep this on the down low. And besides, it'll be quicker this way. Promise." And with that I jump out of the car and casually (but speedily) make my way back into the Salvatore's house.

.

"I don't understand," I confess. "Why did you kidnap me?"

Alice presses her lips together in an almost pitying way. "Too innocent to see what's right in front of you, too good to see the evil around you. He was right about you."

I freeze, my mind running in overtime to untangle her words. "Who is he? You're leader? Is it Jacob Black?"

She laughs a melodic chime of bells that also seems deadly. "I used to be just like you, Bella: Intimated by the slightest thing, scared out of my wits at the tiniest hint of danger. But what differentiates us, is that I _knew _when someone was playing me." She unfolds a Swiss Army Knife I hadn't noticed she was holding. She runs it along my cheek, amused by the fear that crosses my features. "Will you ever learn?"

"Is that why I'm here?" I whisper, trying not to move. "Because I trust people too much?"

"No, Bella," and she seems to really mean her words. She smirks up at me. "You're the distraction."

Alice stands up from her crouch with easy grace, surprisingly me with her agility. She moves to stand behind me, and for a minute I think she's going to cut the cord on my wrists. But instead she walks away and a moment later she's placing another metal chair beside mine. Another hostage?

"Can you just ... help me," I ask, pleading her with my eyes. "Tell me what my sister's going behind my back. Tell me who I shouldn't trust."

She shakes her head. "I can't tell you that, Bella. It's already in you."

"Then just... just tell me what the girls are planning."

"You want to know?" Alice asks, leaning down to we're at the same eye-level. Her eyes darken. "Do you really want to know? Well, I'll tell you. The girls are planning on breaking into Black Asylum."

My mind spins. "Wh-what? That doesn't make any sense." This time it's me that's refusing. "Why would they do something so stupid?"

Alice studies me, her black eyes taking in my haggard expression. She tips her head to the side, as if I'm some new creature to make sense of. "You really have no clue, do you?"

"No clue about what?" My voice sounds weaker, more worn.

She doesn't answer. She just leaves.

The next time someone comes in, it's not Alice. It's a big burly man carrying a beat-up man wearing the same itchy bag I had on my head. The scary guy sits the body down in a chair and goes about tying him up, but the guy looks passed out to me.

"I'm Emmett," the big guy says.

In any other situation I would have smiled, nodded, and introduced myself too (if I hadn't known he already knew my name) but this was a kidnapping. Now wasn't the time for curious exchanges and ass-kissing. So I keep my mouth shut, not wanting to get on his bad side. But when he leaves, he shoots me a cocky wink and smile.

Then I'm left alone in a moldy warehouse with a corpse.

.

The music is bumping and I can't help shimmying my hips a little as I pass some sophomore's, who must be aching for a conversation with Elena G. But my attention is focused elsewhere, on the silhouette of Damon Salvatore, as he looks onto his followers.

I sidle up next to him, taking the brandy glass from his hand and sipping daintily. "I need a favor."

"And what would that be?" His voice startles me, seeing as it's not Damon's.

I turn to him, all flirtation gone. "I'm sorry; I mistook you for someone else."

His green eyes gleam with understanding. "That's alright; it's been happening a lot. I'm Stefan Salvatore."

"Damon's brother," I remember, shaking his hand. "Have you seen Damon?"

Stefan shakes his head, "Not since you left."

I feel myself smile a little. "You know who I am?"

"Of course. Everyone knows the infamous Elena G," he gives me a true, honest to goodness smile that makes me question every intention I've ever had.

I squint wonderingly into his green eyes. Sure, he doesn't have the same devious brilliance as Damon, but he's a definite second-place. So I finish off the brandy and give him my best smirk, the one that says _'You don't know what I know...'_

"Thanks for the brandy," I whisper, then lean up whisper in his ear, so my teeth will grace his earlobe. His breath is on my neck. "You should come with me now ..."

When I lean back slowly, his eyes are flooded with questions, but he's just intrigued enough to follow me out to Caroline's Mercedes.

I slide into the front seat, holding back a giggle when Stefan sees the other girls in the car. "This ... isn't what I expected."

"Me neither," Caroline says, then turns to me, not making an effort to lower her voice. "Who the hell is this? I thought you were just going to ask Damon the question and be out!"

"Change of plans," I answer. "I couldn't find Damon, so I figured his brother is the next best thing. Everyone, meet the decidedly less popular Salvatore brother, Stefan."

While everyone exchanges muted hi's, Caroline grabs my elbow. "This isn't a game, Elena, you're sister is somewhere out there being held against her will!"

I glare at her, letting her know she's getting on my nerves. "Stefan's bound to know just as much as Damon. Besides, we'll have a better chance defeating whoever has Bella with a Salvatore on our side."

"She could be right," Rose says from the backseat. Clearly she didn't mind cuddling up to Stefan, though I try not to think about that right now. My irrational jealousy certainly wouldn't help things. _He came because he wants you,_ I remind myself. _He doesn't want any of the other girls._

I let out a breath, comforted a little. Now, back to the bigger picture. "Stefan, the reason we need your help is because someone-"

"Someone kidnapped Elena's sister, Bella, and we don't know who," Caroline finishes, cutting me off. I glare at her perfect profile.

He looks worried. "Kidnapped? Why haven't you gone to the cops?"

"I like keeping it in the family," I answered, as if that made perfect sense.

"Well, why do you need my help?"

"They left a note; we were hoping maybe you could recognize the writing."

He opens the box and reads the note, his forehead puckering. "This looks like a print I know, but I can't be sure..."

"Any lead would help us," Rosalie says, sounding slightly desperate, I might add.

Stefan leans forward, shifting a little so Rosalie falls against her seat. I hide a smile. "Okay, you know Bella's dad, Charlie Swan?"

I stiffen at the mention of Bella's dad. He and our mom divorced when I was 7. He wasn't my biological father so I didn't take it so hard, but it had been the root to Bella's depression. I didn't even know who my dad was; he and my mom had had a fling.

"Yeah, what about him?" I ask, guarding my voice to the girls won't ask questions. "Wait, how do you know about him?"

He looks bashful, staring down at his feet. "I went through some papers on Damon's desk. I was curious."

"Nosy younger siblings," I curse under my breath. "Okay, go on."

"Well... anyway, Charlie had an old friend down here, Waylon Forge, who was supposed to guard the fishing warehouses."

"So?" I say, confused with the direction he's taking.

"Well, Waylon died last year so those warehouses are officially abandoned. I think we should check there."

"But why?" I press.

"It's the best place to hide someone, isn't it?" Bonnie suddenly says, some color returning to her cheeks. "It also has a link to Bella, so that's something. And it's at least a mile out of town. I'm with Stefan on this one."

"Me too," Rosalie says, nodding along.

"We should at least check," Caroline agrees.

Before I get to have a say in the matter, Caroline's starting up the car. It's not a long ride to the warehouse, but I keep remembering Stefan sitting behind me, then I think about touching him, flirting with him, and my focus is lost. Maybe bringing him was a bad idea.

.

A cough brings me back to awareness. I had been dozing off (so easy to do while tied to a chair). It takes me a moment to realize the cough must have been coming from the boy who sits unconscious beside me. I look at the figure; impeccably dressed despite the many dirt marks and blood stains. I guess I should feel lucky that the maniacs who kidnapped us didn't beat me, also.

The figure stretches, moaning when they realize they're tied. He attempts to position himself without hurting his shoulder blades.

"Slide up," I whisper, trying not to startle him. He only freezes slightly at the sound of me voice, then relaxes when he realizes I'm actually helping him. "Pulling the cord will only strain your wrists more."

"Thanks," He responds gruffly, doing as instructed.

After a moment, I lean my head back and continue counting the broken rafters in the ceiling. Where the rafters break, holes open up, exposing the starry night.

"Hey!" the other hostage suddenly shouts. "How about a little help over here?!"

Not a minute later Emmett comes back in to take the bag off the hostages head. He flips back his shiny black hair, smirking at the scary guy. I gasp when I see my fellow hostage is _Damon Salvatore._

"Thank you. Now would you mind tell me exactly why you've kidnapped me and this..." Damon looks at me, taking in my messy half-damp hair and bathrobe, "this _lovely _young lady?"

Emmett smiles, and for a minute he looks like someone friendly. Then his face morphs into something darker, and he bares his teeth like a wolf. "Not a chance."

Damon holds his head high as he watches Emmett, and I notice he has a bleeding lip.

"Where'd they get you?" I wonder aloud. Last I seen Damon was at his party.

Damon leans back against his chair, looking over at me again, somehow looking condescending. "I left my house shortly after you did."

"Oh..." I say, and then ask, "Why?"

"Reasons that don't concern you even in the slightest."

"I never said it had to."

"So why do you want to know?"

I shrug, "Maybe I have something to hide, too."

He regards me skeptically, "You, Isabella Swan, do not keep secrets."

"Who told you that?" I laugh. "Everyone has secrets."

He leans as close to me as the ties will allow him. "Maybe some people are just better at keeping them."

I press my lips together, recounting what Alice told me. Yes, my sister was the queen of lies. She had almost roped me into doing something stupid and illegal. All for what? I needed to start asserting myself. Take Alice's advice and start seeing the bad in the world.

"Where did you go just now?" Damon asks, all bravado gone from his voice. Damon seems nice enough, but he was in on Elena's plan from the beginning. Sure, he is so handsome it's hard not to stare and he's witty and it's fun to talk with him. But anyone in cahoots with Elena must have more in common with her than I know.

So I shake my head, deciding I didn't trust him. "It doesn't concern you."

He notices the change in my tone, but doesn't comment on it. Instead he looks all around the warehouse. "There has to be a way out, somewhere. Here, I'll to scoot my chair around so we can untie each other."

I watch as he attempts to move his chair and fails.

"I've sort of been just waiting," I say. "They must not want to kill us, since we're still alive."

Damon leans back in his chair. "All right. So... we wait."

"We wait."

.

"It should be just up here," Stefan mutters. He had been giving Caroline vague directions since hitting the highway. "It's close."

Everyone comes to life, eyes scanning the bushes on the side of the road, and the flat sand that lay beyond them. The ocean is black, blending into the sky. "This is First beach," I blurt, suddenly realizing.

Caroline slows the car. Looking from me to Damon, finally resting her eyes on me. "I thought you said it wasn't Jacob's writing?"

"It's not," I say. As much as I want to know who the writing belongs to, I know deep in my bones that my sister is in that warehouse. I need to save her. "Just keep driving."

She speeds up a little more as Stefan directs her down a gravel road. But the road seems to go on and on, with no warehouse in sight. Trees begin to sprout up from the earth, making it harder to see as they grow closer together.

"Are you sure we're going to the right place?" I ask.

"Positive."

Then suddenly, the trees broke and there stood a slightly crumbling warehouse. There was a single black van parked outside, but no one in sight.

It was go-time.

.

**A/N Sooo what's the verdict? Are you even more hooked? This chapter definitely wasn't a filler, so please review if you want more :)**


	8. Disarmed

**Chapter 7**

* * *

"I already told you, Chief Forbes, she was unconscious when we got there." I said for the fourth time that night. I couldn't meet her eyes. "There's nothing else to say."

"And you're sure you didn't see the kidnappers?" She asked.

I glanced at the others; Bonnie, sipping a coffee numbly; Rosalie, staring with blank eyes at the door to Bella's room; Stefan, pacing back and forth in front of the door; Caroline, clutching my hand and glaring at her mother. "She already told you everything, Mom, now can you please stop? It's hard enough without you pestering her."

Mrs Forbes eyes softened. "I'm sorry, Elena, dear. I'm just trying to do my job."

I nod, "Of course."

Truth is, I had been trying to do my job also.

When we got to the warehouse, Stefan insisted Bonnie stay in the car in case we needed a quick getaway. I couldn't help but agree; Bonnie was looking greener by the second. It was eerily quiet as the four of us ran in a half-crouch towards the building. I couldn't stop picturing Bella; being tied up by masked men, being slapped across the face, crying to be let go.

I lead the group to what looked to be the front door and looked back at them. They all looked just as shaken as I felt, but each had a serious look of determination. "Ready?" I whispered.

They nodded.

We stormed into the building, hands in fighting position, but were met with no resistance. The immense room was completely empty, save the two broken figures in the middle. Edward and Caroline went to search the van outside.

I raced over to Bella, moving the long brown hair back from her face, staring with misty eyes at her unconscious face. How is it that even unconscious and in a bathrobe, she still managed to look lovely? It was effortless. Bella didn't need makeup or hair extensions. She was beautiful no matter what I dressed her in. Her skin was pale except where blood was splashed across her forehead. I looked for an exit wound, finding a slash just above her hairline.

"Rose, come help me lift her," I yelled, attempting to lift Bells with one arm around my neck. Rosalie rushed over, grabbing Bella's other arm. "Got it? Okay, lift."

We stumbled out to the Mercedes, I called out for Stefan. He and Caroline were standing near the car, for an unfocused second, I thought they were going to kiss. Until Stefan met my eyes.

"What's happening?" I called, we were closer now and I noticed a dark figure sitting in the Mercedes. _Damon?_

Stefan rushed up to me, holding his arms out to take Bella. "Tell me everything," I ordered, meeting his eyes with fierce determination.

"When we got into the warehouse I searched the other victim while you tended to Bella. When I saw it was Damon, I brought him out here for fresh air. He woke up minutes before you came, but is unresponsive," Stefan said as he followed me.

I went to stand in front of Damon, and listened to Stefan as I tilted his brothers narrow face up towards me. There are red circles around his black eyes and a cut on his bottom lip, but otherwise he doesn't look too worse for wear. The only problem is his eyes; once usually bright and exciting are distant, focused on something else.

"Damon?" I asked, using a soft voice. "What happened in there?"

His eyes snap up to meet mine, a look of fire in them so hot, I drop my hand in response. I swallow, trying to forget what I saw in Damon's eyes. Rose sits behind Damon, massaging his back in a comforting way. Strangely, the gesture doesn't seem at all sexual, so I let it slide.

"Bonnie, into the backseat with Damon and Rose. Hope you guys don't mind Bella laying across y'all," I slam the door and turn to Caroline, holding my hand out. "Car keys."

Her cat-like green eyes narrow. "Excuse me? This is my car."

"Yes, but you're going to squeeze into the passenger seat with Stefan," I say slowly, lowering my voice so he won't hear.

Her expression morphs from startled to satisfied in an instant. I have to keep a handle on my restrain. It's for the best. I don't need Stefan or Damon or any other boy to distract me from my goal. Tonight was a wakeup call. I snatch the keys from Caroline's hand and skip around to the driver's seat. Again, my self control almost crashes as Caroline lowers herself onto Stefan's lap and twists her hips around just so-

But I try not to think about it. Until I glance in the rearview mirror and catch Damon removing a lock of Bella's hair from her lips, brushing it back behind her ear tenderly. I grip the stearing wheel harder. Damon gazes down at Bella with those shiny black eyes, and I get a glimpse of puzzlement before he looks away. His eyes meet mine in the mirror and I look away, like some stupid school girl. I look up again, and his dark eyes are still glaring at me.

I slam on the brakes. "This isn't going to work."

"You're right," Stefan says, to my surprise. "Bella still hasn't woken up!"

I glance back at her, ashamed that I hadn't noticed. "Exactly," I lie, pretending that was my thought all along. "We need to open windows, right?"

"I don't think so," Caroline said. "She needs a hospital."

"Why doesn't somebody slap her?" I ask. Five pairs of questioning eyes meet mine. "What? It works in movies."

"She clearly needs medical attention," Damon snapped, his voice throaty and sharp at the same time. It's tone makes me feel stupidly defensive.

"Maybe if you'd tell us what happened in the warehouse we would already be heading at the hospital, Sherlock. Why so tight-lipped anyway? What exactly _did _happen in there?" I raise my eyebrow, effectively turning all attention away from me.

Damon leans back, looking out the window. He's still seemingly comfortable with Bella's head on his lap. "Someone kidnapped us. Don't know who. They wore masks around and knocked us out with chloroforme." He pauses, looking down at Bella from the corner of his eye. "I suppose it's hitting Bella so hard because she's smaller than I."

"That's it?" I ask.

"I'm going to need you to be more specific."

I sigh. "Do you know who did it?"

He's quiet for a moment, then answers slowly. "No."

I sink back into the seat, letting all the air escape from my lungs, when I remember something. I look to my right at Stefan, he's already staring at me. I point a finger accusingly. "You recognized the writing."

Stefan looks startled for a second, then relaxes. "That? Oh yeah. That was nothing."

"No, Stefan, I'm not congratulating you," I shake my head, glaring into his green eyes. "Who does the writing on the note belong to?"

"Just this guy that I met in Phoenix at boarding school. I forget his name. Edward something."

"Edward?" I ask, asking the other girls silently if they believe him, but they all look just as skeptical as me. "We don't know any _Edward_."

"Yeah, I figured. That's why I brought up Waylon. I knew Edward probably didn't have anything to do with this. Hell, I haven't seen him in about a year."

I shook my head. "Whatever. Let's just get Bells to the hospital."

"I'll get off here."

All five eyes looked to Damon as he swung open the door and painfully made his way out. He dropped Bella out from under him without a second glance. I unbuckled and followed him, unsure of my next move. All I knew was that I couldn't let him leave like this.

"Damon, wait!" I called. "Damon-"

"What?" He snapped, turning around. Suddenly he was right in my face. "What do you want from me, Elena?"

"I..." His eyes disarmed me, leaving me helpless, vulnerable. "I want you ... to stay."

He looked bewildered for a moment, his flawless forehead puckering. Then he lifted his hands, setting them on my neck. He began leaning in till he was very close to my lips. My eyes fluttered shut. I felt the cut on his bottom lip. The beauty of the moment wasn't the kiss itself, but the anticipation. The beauty was that the moment was fleeting, slipping through my fingers with every second.

Then I whispered the single most disarming thing I could've said. The thing that drove him away. "I think I love you."

He dropped his hands slowly, stepping back. When I looked into his eyes I expected to see a loving, tender look. The same one he was giving Bella. But his dark eyes were flat, uncaring. "Then you're a fool."

.

**A/N Sorry this one's so short! Yes, Damon is still self-hating, just like in the books and tv show! Do you feel bad for Elena? Or do you secretly hate her? Don't worry this is the last Elena POV for a while! Please review :)))**


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